Hellmann’s owner sues over competitor’s use of word ‘Mayo’ in product name

You have to break some eggs to make an omelet and, according to a lawsuit from the maker of Hellmann’s, the same goes for mayonnaise.

The food company Unilever is suing a California company that uses the word “Mayo” in its sandwich spread name, saying that federal regulators and dictionaries define mayonnaise as a spread that contains eggs.

The suit claims false advertising by the company Hampton Creek for labeling its egg-free product “Just Mayo.”

Unilever holds the biggest share of the U.S. mayonnaise market, which is estimated to be worth $2 billion annually, according to market-research firm Euromonitor.

Euromonitor says that’s more than twice the size of the ketchup market.

Hampton Creek did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment early Tuesday.